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Below is a list of common questions related to the 20-21 academic year. The health and safety of our students, faculty and staff is our top priority. Continue to check this page for updates.
Academics Admissions Health and Safety Residential Life Athletics Lancaster WCSC Employees
The recommended COVID-19 adaptations for EMU infrastructure identified below rest
upon the foundations of guidance from the American College Health Association (ACHA)
and guidance for institutions of higher education by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). EMU's Reopening Plan for the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia has been reviewed by the State Council of
Higher Education and has been found to be compliant in containing the required components
of the "Higher Education Reopening Guidance."
COVID case monitoring information is available here.
Yes, you are encouraged to quarantine in place before your return to campus.
Quarantine in place means
When you travel, follow COVID protocols including, wearing your mask when you're in public spaces. Wash your hands well or use hand sanitizer after touching surfaces in public places. Keep physical distance from others when you stop during your travels.
Updated 1/6/21
A Parents & Families Meeting was held Sunday, January 10. A recording is available by emailing parent@emu.edu
The Student Town Hall was hosted later that evening. The slides from the student town hall can be downloaded and viewed as a pdf. All of the information shared at the Town Hall was also shared via email and available in the FAQs as well
Updated 1/12/21
Detailed information was emailed to students on December 17. CHECK YOUR EMAIL!
Residential undergraduates will move in January 15-17, 2021. ALL STUDENTS WILL REPORT TO THE UNIVERSITY COMMONS FOR TESTING FIRST.
You will need to schedule a time to be tested and to move-in. The link or email to make this appointment is in the 12/17 email.
Returning Students COVID Testing and Move-Back (those students who lived on campus during Fall Semester 2020) :
New Students COVID Testing and Move-In (students who did not live on campus during Fall Semester 2020 OR newly enrolled EMU students):
Updated 1/6/21
Yes. Upon arrival on campus, all EMU residential students will report to University Commons for a COVID screening test. These rapid antigen tests are free and will be administered by health care professionals. A negative test will be required before entering campus housing. Students with positive tests will have the option of on-campus isolation or returning home, and we will support you regardless of your choice. We continue to determine required testing and testing resources for other members of the EMU community for the beginning of the spring semester, based on the status of COVID-19 in our Harrisonburg and recommendations from state and health officials.
Throughout the semester, testing will be available for all students who are symptomatic or exposed.
Updated 1/6/21
Student-athletes and athletics staff anticipate being able to compete in all of our ODAC sports in the spring. With guidance from the NCAA, we will do additional testing for our student-athletes and our athletic staff.
See the Athletics section for more information.
Updated 1/6/21
Now! Symptom tracking began again on January 4. Daily reminder emails have resumed.
Each morning, you are required to log into the EMU Medicat Portal using your Royals username and password. After logging on, follow the instructions for DAILY COVID-19 Symptom Tracking. Answer the questions below the large dot. After completing the tracking questions, your dot will change color to indicate your risk of COVID-19 at that time. Please call the EMU COVID hotline (540.421.3406) or email covidhotline@emu.edu. if you receive an orange or red dot, and do not come to work until cleared by Health Services. The hotline is staffed from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If your call is not answered because staff are busy, please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call.
Updated 1/6/21
Spring semester begins January 18 with MLK Day programming. To limit unsafe travel, spring break has been replaced with multiple "pause days" to maintain on-campus opportunities for rest. View the calendar here.
Updated 1/6/21
Undergraduate students taking courses offered by the EMU Harrisonburg campus will operate under a calendar that takes into account models of the COVID-19 virus outbreak that project increases during the winter flu season.
The Spring Semester 2021 calendar is available here.
Undergraduate courses on the Harrisonburg campus will begin January 18, 2021. Rather than a week-long spring break, several "Pause days" and "Reading days" have been added to the spring semester. See the calendar for these dates. The spring semester will end on May 6, 2021.
EMU at Lancaster will not be adopting this specific 2020-21 academic calendar. Participants should check the EMU at Lancaster website for course dates/times for all courses, including general education courses.
Graduate program start and end dates of fall semester 2020 vary by program. Please check with your program director for more information.
Updated 11/3/20
We understand students may have underlying health concerns or other reasons why attending in-person classes are a concern. Similar to fall semester, faculty are prepared to teach both in-person with social distancing protocols, as well as making use of Zoom or other online teaching modes. Please be aware that there are some courses (labs, studio art, clinicals, practicums) that require at least partial in-person learning.
Complete this form to begin the approval process and you will be contacted by Zach Yoder, assistant provost for student success, or Shannon Dycus, dean of students, for additional follow-up or conversation.
Updated 11/20/2020
See the "Health and Safety" section for details.
Updated 1/10/21
EMU has started a Student Tuition Relief Fund to provide direct tuition relief for current and prospective students.
Updated 11/4/20
A shift to remote learning does not necessarily mean an evacuation of campus.
CMPT may determine the need to tighten restrictions on a temporary basis to assess an imminent threat to public health, to conduct testing, or expand cleaning due to an outbreak.
Depending on the nature of the situation and guidance from VDH and local authorities, a period of remote learning with residential students remaining on campus may be advisable. A period of remote learning will be followed by a decision to return to previous learning/living conditions or options to depopulate campus for additional risk reduction.
The decision by CMPT to shift the entire campus to remote learning will be determined by the following internal and external factors:
Internal factors
External factors
EMU leaders are also in regular communication with VDH officials, City of Harrisonburg officials, K-12 administrators and leaders at our local universities.
Updated 1/19/21
Criteria for shutdown consideration include the following:
Internal factors
External factors
EMU leaders are in regular communication with City of Harrisonburg officials,K-12 administrators and leaders at our local universities.
Updated 1/19/21
EMU has a rolling admissions process and does not have a deadline for students to make a college decision. For students that were admitted through our Academic Advocacy Program, the May 1 deposit deadline has been extended to June 1. If you have questions about this or would like to request another extension, please contact your admissions counselor. The May 1 deadline for students to request a refund of their tuition deposit has been extended to June 1.
Updated 5/20/20
There are many ways to visit EMU that are designed to account for a wide variety of scenarios and meet prospective students/families where they are at. For more details, please see www.emu.edu/visit. In addition to an in-person visit, we invite you to explore alternative visit opportunities:
Updated 10/28/20
Yes, EMU has waived its test score requirement for fall 2020 admission and is making this a permanent change for subsequent enrollment semesters (including spring 2021 and fall 2021). EMU will continue to thoroughly review a student’s application, transcript(s), and any additional supporting application materials to make an admission decision. If more information is needed, your admissions counselor will reach out to you and let you know about the additional steps. Students may still submit SAT/ACT scores for consideration in the application review process through the test source or by emailing a PDF copy of your score report to admiss@emu.edu or your admissions counselor.
Updated 5/20/20
Yes, you may submit an unofficial transcript for initial admission review to admiss@emu.edu or your admissions counselor. Students are required to submit official transcripts prior to starting classes as an EMU student.
Updated 5/20/20
Yes, courses that are pass/no pass will be accepted by the school for admission review. Confirmation of graduation is required prior to starting classes as an EMU student.
Updated 5/20/20
Yes, they will be accepted as long as the “pass” equals a C or higher. If you have any questions, please contact your admissions counselor for more information.
Updated 5/20/20
Please contact your admissions counselor or the financial assistance office to talk about options available to your specific situation.
Updated 5/20/20
Orientation and class registration are all online this year. Please find more information and select a registration option at www.emu.edu/soar.
Updated 7/16/20
We know the college selection process is often a family decision. President Huxman was joined by other university administrators to provide university updates and answer parent questions at two different parent forums. We invite you to view the recording of these events here.
Updated 7/16/20
Yes, as we prepare for housing and residential life for our students for the upcoming semester, we are taking many steps to prioritize health and safety. Among these steps includes the advantage of single occupancy for many, if not all, of our incoming and returning students. Because we are also prioritizing affordability, there will not be an extra charge for having a single room. If desired, students will still be able to request and live with a roommate, with additional agreements regarding risks.
Updated 5/20/20
Students have the option to defer their admission to the following spring or fall semester. Please contact your admissions counselor or the financial assistance office to discuss any possible implications for making an informed decision. In some instances, certain grants or scholarships might be specific to a fall 2020 start date.
Updated 5/20/20
Orientation for new and returning students included mandatory COVID safety meetings delivered in a hybrid format. Students are strongly encouraged to check EMU emails regularly for updates and invitations to live conversations. Parents can sign up for regular newsletter updates here.
Faculty and staff received access to materials and training prior to the start of the academic year and again prior to the start of the spring semester.
Updated 1/12/2021
Monitoring of the health of our community at this time is required by the VDH. Health Services, HR and Student Life are active partners in the monitoring.
STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF: If you are are symptomatic for COVID or have been exposed to someone diagnosed or symptomatic with COVID, call EMU's COVID-19 hotline (540) 421-3406 or email covidhotline@emu.edu. The hotline is staffed from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If your call is not answered because staff are busy, please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call. This is not an emergency line. If you have an emergency, please call 911 or campus security.
Students, faculty and staff will access COVID symptom tracking through our health record platform. This symptom tracking notification comes to each student's EMU email address. The need for quarantine will be assessed as students respond to initial screening and on-site COVID testing will be administered as needed.
The symptom tracker is put in place to help individuals pay attention to how they are feeling from day to day. Although it is true that persons can have COVID-19 and not have symptoms, it has been proven that tracking symptoms every day does decrease the number of persons impacted by someone who is symptomatic.
Employees are required to access daily COVID symptom tracking through our health record platform.
EMU leaders are in regular communication with City of Harrisonburg officials and leaders at our local universities.
Updated 12/4/20
Members of the campus community and parents of students may opt-in to an email notification of a positive COVID-19 case among faculty, staff or students. Send an email to cmpt_info@emu.edu for the opt-in form link.
This same information about a positive case on campus will be accessible at www.emu.edu/coronavirus.
Per health care privacy guidelines and the responsibility to protect the identities of affected employees and students, notification will include only basic information that a case is present on campus.
EMU’s COVID-19 protocol ensures that those who have met the criteria for possible exposure to the individual will be contacted by our on-campus contact tracer.
If you are symptomatic for COVID or have been exposed to someone diagnosed or symptomatic with COVID, call EMU's COVID-19 hotline (540) 421-3406 or email covidhotline@emu.edu. The hotline is staffed from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If your call is not answered because staff are busy, please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call. This is not an emergency line. If you have an emergency, please call 911 or campus security.
The recommended COVID-19 adaptations for EMU infrastructure identified below rest upon the foundations of guidance from the American College Health Association (ACHA) and more recently released guidance for institutions of higher education by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our fundamental goal is to operate within these guidelines to the greatest extent possible given our context.
Classrooms and labs:
Residence halls:
Dining hall:
Observation of Virginia Health Department guidelines is required for operation, which include the following:
NOTE: From 11 a.m.-noon, the dining hall is open to faculty and staff for purchase of take-out food only.
Office/Administration:
For information about social distancing protocols related to athletics, see the “Athletics” section.
Updated 10/26/20
The recommended COVID-19 adaptations for EMU infrastructure identified below rest upon the foundations of guidance from the American College Health Association (ACHA) and more recently released guidance for institutions of higher education by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Our fundamental goal is to operate within these guidelines to the greatest extent possible given our context.
Custodial/Cleaning Services:
Grounds/Facilities/Maintenance:
Dining Hall:
Pioneer employees will wear masks, have their temperature checked before each shift, and answer health questions daily.
Observation of Virginia Health Department guidelines is required for operation, which include the following:
NOTE: From 11 a.m.-noon, the dining hall is open to faculty and staff for purchase of take-out food only.
For information about cleaning protocols related to athletics, see below.
Updated 10/26/20
Yes. There is a campus-wide requirement for the use of cloth face coverings when members of the campus community - including students and employees - are inside buildings, outdoors in common areas or in areas where social distancing protocols cannot be met. Face coverings are required outside when you are not able to be socially distanced by at least 6 feet. Face coverings are required when walking between buildings and passing others on sidewalks, etc.
For specific information about masks and face coverings (recommended style and materials, ect), visit the CDC website.\
Updated 10/26/20
EMU Health Services works with a student to get proper care, including testing and movement into quarantine/isolation space. COVID-19 testing is available on campus for those with symptoms. Testing protocols are in accordance with Virginia Department of Health guidelines.
A staff nurse manages COVID-19 case tracking and contact tracing as needed; provides related care; and acts as a liaison to the local health department.
Faculty and staff members who are experiencing COVID symptoms may utilize EMU Health Services for COVID testing. An initial telehealth appointment will be scheduled with a provider to determine the next steps for testing. All services will be billed to insurance. EMU's health insurance plan covers a COVID test at 100% when the patient is deemed symptomatic.
If you are are symptomatic for COVID or have been exposed to someone diagnosed or symptomatic with COVID, call EMU's COVID-19 hotline at (540) 421-3406 or email covidhotline@emu.edu. The hotline is staffed from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If your call is not answered because staff are busy, please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call. This is not an emergency line. If you have an emergency, please call 911 or campus security.
Updated 1/12/21
EMU campus buildings, including the dining hall, are closed to non-essential visitors. Essential guests with operational or educational responsibility and a need to be on campus will be required to sign in upon every visit.
EMU residence halls and EMU Residence Life-managed houses, suites, and apartments are closed to guests/visitors.
Students and others may interact with guests in outdoor locations, and guests are to register and follow screening guidance to be on campus. Access the visitor registration form.
Updated 1/12/21
EMU-sponsored travel for all members of the campus community is restricted in the spring semester.
Personal travel is also strongly discouraged because of the risk of acquiring infection when away and potential risk for EMU campus upon return. It is understood there may be circumstances when travel is essential. As much as possible, limit travel to local areas for only essential needs.
Students and employees who are considering travel are urged to reference the CDC Travel Advisory website.
Students who travel beyond Harrisonburg vicinity must contact the COVID hotline (540-421-3406) or email covidhotline@emu.edu. Be prepared for consultation with Health Services upon return and potential quarantine before returning to campus activities.
EMU may require employees to stay at home and quarantine if you are around others that test positive for COVID-19 or travel to an area deemed a "hot spot."
Updated 1/12/21
Personal travel, including visiting friends and family outside of the EMU Harrisonburg community, is strongly discouraged because of the risk of acquiring infection when away and potential risk for EMU campus upon return. Commuter students are invited to adhere closely to health protocols while on campus. Residential students are advised to limit travel to local areas for only essential needs. Interactions with local family members should maintain health protocols of masking, distancing and hand-washing to limit impact of campus interactions. All students are expected to use the daily symptom tracker for self assessment and updates to Health Services.
Updated 1/4/21
While widespread public health concerns require precautions, it is critical to avoid stigma and discrimination against students and employees. Diseases such as COVID-19 can be associated with a population or nationality, even though not everyone from a group or region is at higher risk for having or transmitting the disease. Recognize when students or employees are being mistreated because of their background and take action to maintain the college’s inclusion standards.
Updated 8/17/20
EMU Health Services is available for students who need medical care.
A staff nurse manages COVID-19 case tracking and contact tracing as needed; provides COVID-related care; and acts as a liaison to the local health department. If you are are symptomatic for COVID or have been exposed to someone diagnosed or symptomatic with COVID, you should call EMU's COVID hotline, 540-421-3406 or email covidhotline@emu.edu. The hotline is staffed from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If your call is not answered because staff are busy, please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call. This is not an emergency line. If you have an emergency, please call 911 or campus security.
Tele-health appointments are utilized for patient visits to the university health clinic. Visits of patients who are not ill will be provided in person.
Our local hospital is Sentara RMH.
Updated 1/12/21
EMU Counseling Services is available for students in need of mental health care.
Updated 8/17/20
Immediate action steps for students who have symptoms or had contact with COVID-19
A TeleHealth Health Services assessment will be conducted to determine symptoms and next steps. EMU Health Services will work with student to get proper care, including testing and movement into quarantine/isolation space.
The student will be required to quarantine between the time of Health Services determination that testing is needed until results of testing are returned. If test is negative result, quarantine will continue until symptom/s completely go away. If test is positive, quarantine will become isolation and procedures below will be implemented.
For students in isolation and quarantine, there will be shared monitoring from Health Services for medical care, Campus Ministries & Counseling for emotional/mental support and COVID Response Staff for meal deliveries and virtual programming/connection needs while in isolation/quarantine. If the test is positive, additional steps are taken to involve VDH.
Commuter students who experience any symptom related to COVID-19 will contact the COVID hotline 540-421-3406. The hotline is staffed from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If your call is not answered because staff are busy, please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call. This is not an emergency line. If you have an emergency, please call 911 or campus security.
A TeleHealth Health Services assessment will be conducted to determine symptoms and next steps.
The student will be required to stay home and quarantine/isolate there between the time of determination that testing is needed until results of testing are returned. If test is negative result, quarantine will continue until symptom/s completely go away. If test is positive, quarantine will become isolation and student must continue to stay at home until they are without symptoms for 72 hours (3 days).
For students in isolation and quarantine, there will be shared monitoring from Health Services for medical care, and Campus Ministries & Counseling for emotional/mental support needs while in isolation/quarantine. If the test is positive, additional steps are taken to involve VDH.
Updated 1/12/21
According to the CDC, isolation and quarantine are public health practices used to protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease.
EMU has designated spaces on and off campus for residential students who need to isolate because they are awaiting test results or have been confirmed as positive.
These are separate from student living spaces, and have bathroom and kitchen capacity.
For students in isolation and quarantine, there will be shared monitoring from Health Services for medical care, Campus Ministries and Counseling Services for emotional/mental support and COVID Response Staff for meal deliveries and Residence Life for continuing virtual programming/connection needs.
Significant additional staff allocation will be made to provide services to students in isolation/quarantine under Student Life supervision/coordination.
Commuter students who have symptoms will be required to stay home and quarantine/isolate there between the time of determination that testing is needed until results of testing are returned. If the test result is negative, quarantine will continue until symptom/s completely go away. If test is positive, quarantine will become isolation and student must continue to stay at home until they are without symptoms for 72 hours (3 days).
For commuter students in isolation and quarantine, there will be shared monitoring from Health Services for medical care and Campus Ministries and Counseling Services for emotional/mental support while in isolation/quarantine. If the test is positive, additional steps are taken to involve VDH.
Updated 1/12/21
CMPT may determine the need to tighten restrictions on a temporary basis to assess an imminent threat to public health, to conduct testing or expand cleaning due to an outbreak.
The decision by CMPT to shift the entire campus to remote learning will be determined by the following internal and external factors:
Internal factors
External factors
EMU leaders are in regular communication tracking COVID-19 details with City of Harrisonburg officials, K-12 administrators and leaders at our local universities.
Remote learning does not necessarily mean the evacuation of the campus. Depending on the nature of the situation precipitating a cessation of in-person teaching, it may not be advisable for all students to travel home. Depending on the nature of the situation and guidance from VDH and local authorities, a period of remote learning with residential students remaining on campus may be advisable. With guidance from VDH, a period of remote learning is followed by a decision to return to previous learning/living conditions or options to depopulate campus for additional risk reduction.
Depopulation of campus will include remote work procedures for non-essential employees and residential students who are not in isolation or quarantine being advised to return home.
Updated 1/19/21
Thinking about spring semester and a fresh start, what have we learned from fall? What do we need to do to maintain a safe, healthy, caring, and just residential community at EMU?
We've learned that our own behavior and attitudes impact our community, now more than ever. We know that guidelines are developed to keep us safe and that if we don't adhere to them, we're putting ourselves and others at risk. We know we care for and about each other.
So, having established that, here's the most important actions we can take:
Updated 11/4/2020
A Parents & Families Meeting was held Sunday, January 10. A recording is available by emailing parent@emu.edu. All of the information shared has been made available to students via email and available in the FAQs as well.
The Student Town Hall was hosted later that evening. The slides from the student town hall can be downloaded and viewed as a pdf. All of the information shared at the Town Hall was also shared via email and available in the FAQs as well.
Updated 1/6/21
Building community is still a priority at EMU, but how we do that in common spaces looks different.
We have taken many steps to prioritize health and safety, including single occupancy rooms for many incoming and returning students.
Our housing model for all undergraduate students is a “Household Group” model. Household Groups are constituted by who shares a bathroom and range in size from 1*-20+ depending on residential location. *If you are a Household Group of 1 - contact your RD if you are interested in joining with another HG to combat loneliness.
Household Groups exist so that you have a place to be together without all the health protocols: When you are inside your HG space (suite, apartment, house, ½ hall, etc.) with others of your HG, you do not NEED to wear a face covering/mask, physically distance, etc.
When you are outside of your HG space - even if you are (only) with other members of your HG - wear your face covering and maintain physical distance.
No guests are allowed inside the residence hall/suite/apartment. A guest is anyone who is not a member of your household (even an EMU student who lives in a different building).
Student groups (both within and outside household groups) can reserve designated indoor spaces to hang out after hours. Email emily.forrer@emu.edu for more info.
Student Life staff have facilitated student and campus engagement using
Updated 10/26/20
EMU-sponsored travel for all members of the campus community is restricted in the spring semester.
Personal travel is also strongly discouraged because of the risk of acquiring infection when away and potential risk for EMU campus upon return. It is understood there may be circumstances when travel is essential. As much as possible, limit travel to local areas for only essential needs.
Students and employees who are considering travel are urged to reference the CDC Travel Advisory website.
Students who travel beyond Harrisonburg vicinity must contact the COVID hotline (540-421-3406) or email covidhotline@emu.edu. Be prepared for consultation with Health Services upon return and potential quarantine before returning to campus activities.
EMU may require employees to stay at home and quarantine if you are around others that test positive for COVID-19 or travel to an area deemed a "hot spot."
Updated 1/12/21
Pioneer employees will wear masks, have their temperature checked before each shift and answer health questions daily.
No visitors will be allowed in the dining hall. Total occupancy for the dining hall has been reduced per current distancing requirements. Changes to the academic schedule allow for longer breaks at peak dining times to manage total occupancy loads.
Observation of Virginia Health Department guidelines is required for operation, which include the following:
Read additional reopening guidelines provided by Pioneer College Caterers.
NOTE: From 11 a.m.-noon, the dining hall is open to faculty and staff for purchase of take-out food only.
Updated 1/12/21
Yes. There is a campus-wide requirement for the use of cloth face coverings when members of the campus community - including students and employees - are inside buildings, outdoors in common areas or in areas where social distancing protocols cannot be met. Face coverings are required outside when you are not able to be socially distanced by at least 6 feet. Face coverings are required when walking between buildings and passing others on sidewalks, etc.
For specific information about masks and face coverings (recommended style and materials, ect), visit the CDC website.
Updated 10/26/20
Relationships are important. Be creative with how you spend time with those closest to you. We encourage you to interact with significant others and students from your family with the same physical distancing practices as anyone else who is not in your household group. If you choose to not practice physical distancing, for instance in a romantic relationship, you must inform contract tracers of who you have been close to if you begin to experience symptoms or a potential positive case arises. Significant others and family members who live on campus are not allowed in your residence hall unless they live there too and they are not allowed in your room unless they are part of your household group.
Updated 10/26/20
Ideally, you should only ride in the same car as members of your same household group (still, wearing a face covering/mask is recommended). However, if you need to ride in someone else’s car (someone who is not in your household group), you should wear your face coverings/masks, try not to pack the car to full capacity, and ventilate heavily. Windows down is ideal, but, when using heat/AC, draw from outside air.
Updated 10/26/20
Fall, winter and spring sports, with the exception of indoor track, will compete with ODAC schools during the spring semester. Each team will play approximately half of the number of games they normally play. We will compete only against ODAC schools.
Read the ODAC's 11/17 announcement. ODAC has also published FAQs with specific information about each sport.
EMU will be releasing spring competition schedules on emuroyals.com.
The ODAC conference has released a policy that no spectators are permitted at any ODAC indoor athletic event for the upcoming spring campaign. Read more. EMU plans to livestream games and plans are underway for spectating at outdoor events. We'll update this page as soon as we know, but you can also stay tuned to emuroyals.com as well.
Updated 1/12/2020
Yes, all athletes who participate this spring will not be charged a season of participation, and they will not be charged semesters of enrollment (in short, it will be as if the year never happened). Athletes enrolled in the spring semester 2020 have already received an extra season of eligibility.
While enrolling in additional semesters is costly, two options exist that may assist students and parents in decision-making. During the final season of eligibility, an athlete can be enrolled in as little as 1 credit, or they can enroll in graduate courses.
Updated 11/2/20
We will follow NCAA recommendations in cooperation with local and state health officials and the ODAC.
Read more about the ODAC's 11/17/20 announcement to follow the testing recommendations published by the NCAA in its Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Developing Standards for Practice and Competition, Second Edition.
Testing will vary depending on the risk category of the sport. While testing recommendation continue to evolve, we do anticipate using a rapid, point-of-contact antigen test up to three times a week for high-risk sports and surveillance testing methods for the medium-risk sports. Testing for low-risk sports will follow standard campus-wide testing ( for symptomatic cases only). Testing will only be possible, however, with the availablity of a low-cost rapid test. We anticipate being able to provide more specific information in the coming weeks on this topic.
Updated 11/18/2020
The ODAC conference has released a policy that no spectators are permitted at any ODAC indoor athletic event for the upcoming spring campaign. Read more.
EMU plans to livestream games and plans are underway for spectating at outdoor events. We'll update this page as soon as we know, but you can also stay tuned to emuroyals.com as well.
Updated 1/12/2020
Per NCAA requirements, masks are required for all athletic practices except swimming and sprinting. The ODAC is establishing guidelines for travel, visiting teams and officials that will be followed by all schools. Regular testing should allow us to use charter buses with athletes masked and seated as far apart as possible. Travel in vans is prohibited. Meals will be boxed from Pioneer Catering or delivered to the competition site.
Updated 11/2/2020
Covid case monitoring on the Lancaster site is located at emu.edu/lancaster/covid-faq#monitoring
WCSC will provide protocols and more information to students registered in their program this fall.
In the Event of Illness: If you become ill or are exposed to someone who is ill over any holiday break, please log your symptoms in the symptom tracker and call your family physician. If you have a positive COVID test result over break, notify EMU through the COVID hotline (540) 421-3406 or email covidhotline@emu.edu. Remember that if you are symptomatic or have been exposed, do not come to work until you have received a negative test result.
As part of our plan to keep the EMU campus healthy, we are implementing daily symptom tracking. For consistency, you are required to complete this daily (7 days/week) whether or not you are on campus. You will be sent daily reminders to complete the tracker.
Each morning, you are required to log into the EMU Medicat Portal using your Royals username and password. After logging on, follow the instructions for DAILY COVID-19 Symptom Tracking. Answer the questions below the large dot. After completing the tracking questions, your dot will change color to indicate your risk of COVID-19 at that time. Please call the EMU COVID hotline (540.421.3406) if you receive an orange or red dot, and do not come to work until cleared by Health Services. The hotline is staffed from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If your call is not answered because staff are busy, please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call.
If you have any questions or problems using the symptom tracker, please email Beth Good (beth.good@emu.edu) for assistance.
Steps if you are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive:
Employees who test positive for COVID-19 will not be permitted to return to working on-site until they have met the following criteria:
Updated 12/4/20
Employees will wear a face-covering that covers their nose and mouth to comply with Governor Northam’s Executive Order at all times inside a building at EMU except when in their own office with a closed door or eating. Face-coverings are required outside when you are not able to be socially distanced by at least 6-feet. Face-coverings are required when walking between buildings and passing others on the sidewalk, etc.
For specific information about masks and face coverings (recommended style and materials, ect), visit the CDC website.
Updated 8/17/20
Updated 8/17/20
For additional information, see the “Health and Safety” section.
Updated 8/17/20
As much as possible, limit travel to local areas for only essential needs. EMU may require you to stay at home and quarantine if you are around others that test positive for COVID-19 or travel to an area deemed a "hot spot." Employees who are considering travel are urged to reference the CDC Travel Advisory website. Wear masks when using public transportation, and upon return to work, ensure you take the required precautions to monitor symptoms.
Updated 12/4/20
EMU will not tolerate the harassment of employees for any stigma surrounding COVID-19. Harassment against any employee or student who is diagnosed with COVID-19, lives with someone who is diagnosed, or is exposed, should be stopped immediately. Supervisors should establish this expectation with their employees as soon as they return to campus. Address harassment quickly and directly. Seek advice from your supervisor and Human Resources as needed.
Updated 8/16/20
Monitoring of the health of our community at this time is required by the VDH. Health Services, HR and Student Life will be active partners in the monitoring. EMU leaders are in regular communication tracking COVID-19 details with City of Harrisonburg officials, K-12 administrators and leaders at our local universities.
STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF: If you are are symptomatic for COVID or have been exposed to someone diagnosed or symptomatic with COVID, call EMU's COVID-19 hotline (540) 421-3406 or email covidhotline@emu.edu. The hotline is staffed from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If your call is not answered because staff are busy, please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call.
As move-in begins, students will access COVID symptom tracking through our health record platform. This symptom tracking notification will initially come to each student's EMU email address. Students will be asked to opt in to text messaging for future symptom screening. The need for quarantine will be assessed as students respond to initial screening and on-site COVID testing will be administered as needed.
Employees are required to access daily COVID symptom tracking through the EMU Medicat Portal. For consistency, employees are required to complete this daily (7 days/week) whether or not you are on campus. Daily reminders to complete the tracker will be sent.
After logging on, follow the instructions for DAILY COVID-19 Symptom Tracking. Answer the questions available below the large dot. After completing the tracking questions, your dot will change color to indicate your risk of COVID-19 at that time.
Please call the EMU COVID hotline at 540-421-3406 if you receive an orange or red dot, and do not come to work until cleared by Health Services. The hotline is staffed from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. If your call is not answered because staff are busy, please leave your name, phone number, and a brief message and we will return your call.
Updated 8/17/20
See "Health and Safety" above for details.
Remote learning does not necessarily mean the evacuation of students from the campus.
CMPT may determine the need to tighten restrictions on a temporary basis to assess an imminent threat to public health, to conduct testing or expand cleaning due to an outbreak.
The decision by CMPT to shift the entire campus to remote learning will be determined by the following internal and external factors:
Internal factors
External factors
EMU leaders are also in regular communication with VDH officials, City of Harrisonburg officials, K-12 administrators and leaders at our local universities.
Depending on the nature of the situation precipitating a cessation of in-person teaching, it may not be advisable for all students to travel home. A period of remote learning with residential students remaining on campus) may be advisable. With guidance from VDH, a period of remote learning is followed by a decision to return to previous learning/living conditions or options to depopulate campus for additional risk reduction.
Depopulation of campus will include remote work procedures for non-essential employees and residential students who are not in isolation or quarantine being advised to return home.
Criteria for shutdown consideration include the following:
Internal factors
External factors
EMU leaders are in regular communication with City of Harrisonburg officials,K-12 administrators and leaders at our local universities.
Updated 1/19/20
Please fill out this form: Spring 2021 Request for Remote Work
Updated 8/17/20
Contact HR (hr@emu.edu) if you have additional questions or specific questions related to your work.
Updated 8/17/20